This invention relates generally to the field of riding mowers and, in particular, to a control lever that can be folded or collapsed to permit improved entry to or exit from the operator""s seat of a riding mower.
Riding lawn mowers are used to cut grass and the like and are manufactured in various designs and configurations. Certain elements, however, are common to most riding lawn mowers. For example, a riding lawn mower typically includes a frame supported by three or more wheels. A mower deck comprising one or more rotating cutting blades is normally suspended beneath the frame and in close proximity to the ground. Rotation of the cutting blades is usually provided by a power plant such as a gasoline engine. The power plant also provides the driving force for the wheels.
An operator controls the various mechanical operations of the riding lawn mower. In many riding lawn mower designs, the operator is seated on top of the mower. From this position, the operator can control the speed and direction of the mower, as well as the operation of the mower deck.
One particular design for a riding lawn mower is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,496,226, which is hereby incorporated by reference. As set forth therein, the riding lawn mower comprises a pair of hand levers that engage a transmission assembly. Fore and aft movement of the hand levers alters the rotational speed of the drive wheels, thereby changing the direction of the riding mower. In other words, the riding mower is steered by manipulation of the hand levers.
The hand levers of this design are positioned so that they can be easily grasped and manipulated by the operator from the seated riding position. In particular, the hand levers are each xe2x80x9cCxe2x80x9d-shaped and extend from a connection point beneath and along each side of the operator""s seat. The middle portion of the hand levers extend upwards on either side of the operator""s legs. The upper portion of the hand levers extend horizontally towards each other (through a 90 degrees bend) and in front of the operator""s upper body (i.e., above the operator""s lap). This configuration allows the operator to easily and comfortably grasp and manipulate the hand levers from the seated position on top of the riding mower.
The configuration for the hand levers of the above-described design has a number of disadvantages. For example, the hand levers can impede entry to or exit from the operator""s seat. To gain entry to the operator""s seat, the operator ordinarily has to swing one of the hand levers to the outwardly from the side of the mower. Alternatively, the operator may push one of the hand levers to the rear while pulling the other hand lever towards the front. Either procedure spreads the hand levers apart so that operator can maneuver between the ends of the hand levers and sit down on the operator""s seat. These procedures, however, may be difficult to perform and may fail to provide sufficient clearance for many operators.
One attempt to solve this problem is to allow the hand levers to swing outwardly towards the sides of the mower. Swinging the hand levers to side of the mower, however, may still not provide sufficient access to the mower for some operators. This is because the hand levers will remain adjacent to the side of the operator""s seat. The position of the hand levers may consequently inhibit the ability of some operators, particularly elderly or handicapped operators, to gain entry to the operator""s seat.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a control lever arrangement that overcomes the disadvantages and limitations described above.
The foldable control lever of the present invention comprises a main lever tube having a lower end, an upright section and a grip portion. The upright section connects the grip portion to the lower portion. An upper weldment is affixed to the lower end of the main lever tube. The upper weldment comprises a support flange and a plurality of outwardly projecting ears.
The foldable control lever is supported by a lower weldment adapted to receive the lower end of the main lever tube. The lower weldment is connected to the transmission assembly and transmits the movement of the control lever to the drive unit of the mower. The lower weldment comprises a receiver flange having a plurality of notches spaced about the circumference of the flange. The notches are configured so as to engage the outwardly projecting ears of the upper weldment. When the outwardly projecting ears are engaged with said notches, the main lever tube is prevented from rotating relative to the lower weldment. This allows the control lever to be used to operate the drive unit. When the outwardly projecting ears are not engaged with the notches, the main lever tube can be rotated downward and on to the top of the mower. This allows the control lever to be folded out of the way of the operator, thereby providing increased access to the operator""s seat.
The preferred embodiment of the invention includes features in addition to those listed above. Moreover, the advantages over the current art discussed above are directly applicable to the preferred embodiment, but are not exclusive. The other features and advantages of the present invention will be further understood and appreciated when considered in relation to the detailed description of the preferred embodiment.